Hi all,

It’s hard to believe that the first term is halfway through! The weeks have absolutely flown by. For those of you who are new to the school let me introduce myself and give you an idea of what my role here is and what I’m involved in here at Kings Meadows High School.  My name is Paul Burton and I’m married with 4 daughters, 3 teens and one ‘wanna’ be. I have a background of 30 years in the building industry and 20 years pastoral ministry experience, both voluntary and paid.

I have been at Kings Meadows High School for 12 months in the role of Chaplain which I have found very rewarding.  If you are unfamiliar with what a school Chaplain does you can find a fact sheet on the education website by following the link attached. Take the time to check it out.

https://www.education.tas.gov.au/parents-carers/parent-fact-sheets/school-chaplaincy/

In a nutshell, one thing you can be certain of is that a Chaplains role is not to convert people to a religion but, rather to offer pastoral care, help and support within the school community, and a listening ear in times of stress or difficulty. Our role is to ensure that you are not going through difficult times alone and to celebrate any ‘life’ victories with you, offering emotional, minor psychological and spiritual care (regardless of spiritual persuasion).  I provide this in conjunction with the support team at the school which includes the school psychologist, social worker and nurse.

My days at KMHS are Tuesday and Thursday.  I oversee the Breakfast Club both mornings, along with help of some wonderful volunteers from local churches getting involved. This has seen a number of regulars and steady growth over the term with many of the same students turning out for fruit, juice, toast and Milo to get them off to a good start.

Breakfast Club is not just for students who may miss breakfast, a regular occurrence in my household due to late rising children, but also for students who may enjoy a bit of comradery before school and the room is always warm in winter.

Recess and lunchtimes are usually pretty free range and I spend time in the staff room, out on the oval or chatting to students around the school grounds.  Along with a volunteer horticulturalist, I oversee some groups of boys in our vast gardens where we have planned, prepared, planted and harvested a crop of veggies.

The staff at KMHS are fantastic and really supportive, allowing me to join in on lessons and assist with students who might need a little bit of extra help.  This has given me an opportunity to see just how hard the teachers and staff at the school work and offer encouragement and support where it’s needed.

If you have any questions or would just like to touch base for a chat so you can get to know me, please contact me at the school during school hours on Tuesday or Thursday, I would love to meet you and I really enjoy a good coffee.

Chappy Paul